People around the world are confronted by a number of communications and writing devices which have evolved relatively recently from the separate areas of telephone communications networks, wireless networks, television or cable networks, and computer networks and personal computers. The more recent devices—mobile phones with message/picture/video texting, personal digital devices for Internet browsing and computer-based blogging and networking sites—have been shaped in part by the separate networks of origin, but the nature and capabilities of many of these now-ubiquitous devices have both converged, and also advanced quickly in different directions as the industries controlling each sector have capitalized on their market power, reservoir of legacy subscribers and, in some cases, regulatory barriers and proprietary network equipment and connection protocols, to introduce new consumer features, often employing developments from other consumer products, and aiming to lure subscribers by mimicking those products. However, in doing so, each industry has also been limited by its own equipment, data transfer speeds and connection abilities.
Thus, as digital imaging advanced and consumers learned to take and handle images and to attach the images to e-mail messages, imaging chipsets were incorporated into mobile telephones and the mobile phones were configured to display images and allow their transmission between phones. Text and message protocols allowed transmission of ‘instant’ messages, and coded standardized greetings and messages between phone users, filling a niche for immediate portable, personal communication that was not met by existing personal computer devices. Devices like the iPhone®, introduced in 2007 allowed a user to access his Internet-based email from his mobile phone via a specially-configured data connection with his mobile service provider, and to exchange content via wireless connection to his personal computer.
However, despite these developments blurring boundaries between the classical phone, mobile telephone, Internet, wireless and television or cable networks, there has not been a convergence. Rather, although industry and government groups have promoted interface standards for several different classes of data or communication, each industry has retained much of its special structure, and the devices served by an industry (such as mobile telephones) may find their feature set constrained by intrinsic limitations of bandwidth and connectivity, by available networking equipment base, and by the level of contractual cooperation agreements of its provider. The many different classes of communications systems now available, and the many separate provider networks in each class, have also required the development of new supporting entities, such as nationally- or internationally-extending registries, aggregators, exchanges and other entities, in order to affect timely transfer of data, messages and/or entertainment content. This second-level infrastructure imposes further constraints of the feasible, or economically feasible, set of features that a consumer may exercise. Thus, for example, mobile telephones have been augmented with a display and the ability to run small applications such as games, MP3 players, Internet browsers/applications and email retrieval, while personal computers have the capability to run larger programs, employ wireless connectivity and perform voice-over-IP (VOIP) Internet communications. Various special-purpose applications requiring cross-platform connections may be provided, or applications simulating cross-platform capabilities may be developed, by a service provider, such as a television-displayed chat session available for subscribers of a TV provider. However, many other personal devices while having large data capacity, ability to connect to another user device and ability to run entertainment apps, may entirely lack the mobile telephone electronic circuitry necessary for exchanging mobile messages with telephone users. Additionally, the delivery of messages in some messaging systems is affected by limitations of carrier networks and international boundaries. It is therefore desirable to provide a system for enhanced communication between personal devices.
Although, email, IM and web surfing can be monitored and audited at an Enterprise level, the ability to monitor, audit, or filter an Enterprise's personnel's electronic communications in addition to securing corporate assets by such communications has not been possible with regard to SMS/MMS previously due to the nature of traditional SMS/MMS. Traditional SMS/MMS is based on Signaling System No. 7, analog telephone signaling protocols (SS7) switching technology and on a physically separate network to which an Enterprise has no visibility or access.
While personnel at an Enterprise may be using mobile phones or tablets that are provided and paid for by the Enterprise, currently, there is no method by which to determine what the SMS/MMS communications is being used for (e.g., company business, personal business, or a leak of confidential and proprietary information) unlike other electronic communications methods (digital: email, IM, etc.) which are easily tracked/monitored. This is an issue, especially for trade secrets, financial data of publicly traded companies, and Merger & Acquisition activity information.
Enterprises have never had ability to monitor or audit a service that they do not manage such as the PSTN beyond rudimentary time based usage statistics. Carriers cannot retain the message content of SMS messages due to the sheer volume of the enormous amount of data based on the quantity of SMS messages that flow through its network. Enterprises have in some cases made it corporate policy that SMS/MMS usage is NOT allowed (e.g., some Wall St financial institutions have done this) in an attempt to prevent leakage of sensitive data via SMS/MMS. One barrier to solving this problem has always been the physical separation of the networks involved (PSTN vs. Internet) and technology (SS7 vs. IP). The problem cannot be solved if the Enterprise cannot obtain physical access to the network where the problem is occurring. In theory, carriers could technically solve the issue, but the carriers would be prevented by privacy laws and even if granted relief from privacy laws, the task due to the sheer volume of data would make it cost prohibitive to be justified.
SMS is a carrier service that an Enterprise has zero control over. Additionally, carriers do not monitor or retain SMS message content (except for very short, finite periods). Thus an Enterprise, even if suspicious of possible leaks of its proprietary data (trade secrets, financial, M&A), has no recourse to determine the source of these leaks as the carriers do not have the data retention policies or the ability to search historical SMS.
A unified communication (UC) service is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, data sharing, call control and speech recognition with non-real-time communication services such as unified messaging (integrated voicemail, e-mail, SMS and fax). UC is not necessarily a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. There have been attempts at creating a single product solution however the most popular solution is dependent on multiple products. In its broadest sense UC can encompass all forms of communications that are exchanged via the medium of the TCP/IP network to include other forms of communications such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Digital Signage Communications as they become an integrated part of the network communications deployment and may be directed as one to one communications or broadcast communications from one to many.
UC service allows an individual to send a message on one medium and receive the same communication on another medium. For example, one can receive a voicemail message and choose to access it through e-mail or a cell phone. If the sender is online according to the presence information and currently accepts calls, the response can be sent immediately through text chat or video call. Otherwise, it may be sent as a non-real-time message that can be accessed through a variety of media.
Landline phones (also referred to as classical phones, fixed line phone) and associated phone numbers are not capable of mobile messaging functions. Landline phones generally operate on direct inward dial (DID) lines. They are only used for voice functions, and by their nature, are not “mobile.” Thus, in order to provide a mobile contact point, users must secure a separate mobile phone number associated with a mobile device to receive services such as text messaging and other capabilities. In a business setting, employees generally are assigned a business phone number and these business numbers are managed by a private branch exchange PBX or computerized branch exchange (CBX).
A problem exists within in the telecom industry of North America regarding potential conflicts that can result in disablement of some or all of the services associated with a phone number. Currently non-carriers (service providers) have the ability to buy phone numbers from carriers and provide services via the Internet. In order for the services to be provided a telephone line and corresponding number must be provisioned correctly. Erroneous provisioning of a phone number in the US and Canada for SMS can occur when phone number ownership is transferred through multiple entities. Errors can occur, for example, when resellers transfer line numbers to other resellers, when numbers have previously been provisioned for SMS communications with a one particular service provider or carrier; and when and a landline which is not equipped to accommodate SMS (e.g., a line connected to a dumb voice handset) is provisioned for SMS communications. A primary difficulty has been identifying, locating a minimal set of authoritative databases to query in a communications ecosystem that is unstructured and unregulated on a global level.